Professor, Anna Deane Carlson Endowed Chair of Social Sciences, Director, Research Center on Violence - Sociology

Skating on Thin Ice exposes the culture of toxic masculinity in professional hockey and suggests how sport and society can change the narrative on sexual  assault and violence.

Why is it   that professional sports, and notably hockey, remain a bastion for rape   culture and violence against women? What are the conditions that allow a   culture of toxic masculinity to persist despite awakenings elsewhere in   society? What is the path forward, and how do we make officials, coaches, and  athletes accountable?

Drawing on decades of award-winning sociological research and sports journalism, Walter   S. DeKeseredy, Martin D. Schwartz, and veteran sportswriter Stu Cowan find answers to these questions in Skating on Thin Ice.

The book examines   the abusive, misogynistic, racist, and homophobic behaviors found in   professional hockey and explains the larger societal forces that perpetuate   and legitimate these harms. Confirming a recent federal government inquiry   into Hockey Canada’s handling of sexual assault allegations, the book reveals   that young men enter the NHL and other revenue-generating hockey leagues   already trained and primed to treat women as objects – and often to commit   violent acts against them. Rooted in the authors’ work in the sports world as   well as their work with activists and governments, Skating on Thin   Ice doesn’t just highlight the problem of hockey and rape culture,   it also provides collaborative solutions for fixing it.